Compass



Jan. 15, 1952 F. DE ACESARIS COMPASS Filed March 20, 1947 INVENToR. ay z3 A TTORME YSL Patented Jan. 15, 1952 z 'COMPASS Frederick De Cesaris, Johnston, R. I., assignor to James Manufacturing Co., Inc., a corporation Application March 20, 1947, Serial No. 7 35,839

11 Claims. (ci. ca -149) This invention relates to a compass of the type which is usually furnished to school children in order to assist them to draw a true circle.

Heretofore, school compasses have been manufactured rather inexpensively consisting of a pair of legs which are pivoted together with a handle extending upwardly from a leaf located between two leg positions at the pivot. An arrangement has been provided for maintaining this handle in a line which will bisect the angle between the two legs as the legs are moved toward and from each other. 'I o 'accomplish this result, a slot has been provided in the leaf on which the handle is mounted and slots have been III provided in each of the legs with a pin extending through said slot and headed at its ends.

The pin must be somewhat loose, but even when loose, there is exerted a considerable friction by reason of the edges of the three slots in which the pin moves as the parts swing about their pivot.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a compass in which the means for maintaining the handle vertical will operate with a minimum amount of friction and thus permitl of the movement of the legs toward andfrom each other with a small amount of effort.

Another object of this invention 4is to provide a minimum amount of friction for movement of the parts which will enable the parts vto be better adjusted that the spacing of the ends of the legs may be more accurately positioned.

Another object of this invention `is to'provide a. better balanced arrangement of support of the leaf and the legs at either side so that the surfaces may be better supported as they move about the pivotal axis upon which they; are

i mounted.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of pivot and the ball held in the leaf and between y the legs;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the leaf and handle as shown in Fig. 3;

ing 4a modified form of leg and ball arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a further modiiication;

lig.` 7 is a sectional view of the leaf alone showing an offset as a point of engagement for balancing the mounting of the leaf position;

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the structure of Fig. 7. In proceeding with this invention, instead of providing a rivet through slots in the legs and the leaf, I have provided a ball or roller in this position which will turn upon an axis within itself and roll along the surfaces which act as cams for the relative movement of the parts. By this arrangement, it is not necessary that slots be formed, but the stock may be pressed out to form a groove, thus covering completely this actuating part which was heretofore exposed. Further, in order that the ball may be balanced on the other side of the'pivot as to its spacing of the leg members, I have rprovided other balls or equivalent parts to engage the legs and provide an equal spacing of the legs at other points about the pivotal mounting.

With reference to the drawings, -III designates one leg member and Il the other leg member. These leg members'are formed of sheet stock which is offset or ribbed to stiffen the same. A pencil I 2 is provided in one leg and a steel point I3 in the `other leg as is usual in compasses of this character. The upper ends of these legs are formed in broadened head portions III and I5, each of sheet stock, so that there is a considerfablev portion of Vone overlying a corresponding portion of the other, and between these two head kportions I4 and I5 a leaf or piece of sheet stock I6 (see Fig. 4) is located which is of a size to compare to the size of these heads I4 and I5. between which it is located. A pivot pin I 1 extends-through opening I8 in the head I4, I9 in the head I5 and 20 in the leaf I6. This pivot is'headed over as at 2| and 22 so that it may be retained in place. The heads on the pin are of such distance apart that they do not tightly bind the parts, but permit of their relative free movement. A handle designated generally 23 extends from the leaf I6 and .consists of an arm 24 having a cylindrical tube 25 secured thereon by a tight friction engagement.

As the leg members III and II are-relatively moved about the pivot pin to space the points I2 and I3 diierent distances apart, it is desired that the handle 23` be maintained in a line which will bisect the angle distance between the legs. III and II so that this handle will always l Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but,ill;irsi'raij.-v 55 be in apposition to` be clasped by the user for swinging the pencil about the point I3L as a center, In order that this may be accomplished, a slot 26 is located in the leaf IB with its axis extending radial to the opening 2!! and with its opposite side walls parallel to this axis, the axis of this slot being located in a line which. is in liney with the handle 23 as is seen clearly in Fig. 4. A slot 2'I is provided in the member I4, and a slot 28 is provided in the member I5, each of these slots providing camming edges and each of the slots being similarly but oppositely directed with relation to the pivot so that they will cross the radial slot 26 in the leaf. I posh tion a spherical member or ball 29 in these three slots, the slot 26 being of a size to accommodate the ball freely therethrough, whereas the slots 21 and 28 are of a much smaller size, as shown in Fig. 3, which will receive a part of the ball but will not permit the ball to pass therethrough. By this arrangement, asy the ball must remain in the slot 2B and also partially in each of the other slots, relative movement of the leg members Il) and Ilwill cause the ball to move up and down in the slot 26 and will maintain the i leaf member I6 with its handle in a line which will bisect the anglev formed between the' lleg members IU and I I at the pivot..

In some cases, instead of providing slots as 21 and28, the stock of the heads I4 and I5 may be deflected outwardly as at 3B and 3 I (see Fig. 5)4 so as to provide grooves wh-ich will be of the same ,K

shape as the slots but will not be formedV by cutting the stock completely through. In this case, theball 29 will act as heretofore` in the slot 2.6 of

'the leaf, but the ball will be hidden from view by Vreason of the groove instead of the slot.

In Fig. 6, I have illustrated a still different form yin which instead of using a ball I have used a. cy-

lindrical roll 32 which is located in the slot 26A and has its reduced ends 33 and 34 in slots 35 and 36 which will compare with slots 21 and 28 except they will be of somewhat narrower width. The action, however, will be similar except that the roll will turn about one axis instead of about any axis within itselfwhi-ch might occur where the ball was utilized.

' The constructions of ball or roller which I have heretofore described will serve to space the sheet stock heads I4 and. I 5 at a point below the pivot 2.2 as it is illustrated in the various veiws. In order to. provide, a support and spacer at the other location about the pivot, I form openings 3,1 and 38 which are arranged at 120 apart and at 1,20 from the slot 26, thus providing a three point re' lationship for provision of a support for these parts, and in each of these openings 3T and 38, I locate a ball 39 (see Fig. 3) which will be of a size equal to the distance that these heads I4 and I5 are spaced apart by the ball 29 below the pivot I1. This also provides a ball bearing for the leaf in its movement relative to the heads I4 and I5 of the legs IU'and I I.

In some cases, however, instead of providing an opening with a ball therein as just described. I

4 the different positions to which the leg members I and I I have been relatively moved.

I claim:

l. A compass comprising, a pair of leg members having portions overlying each other with a leaf having a handle extending therefrom located between said overlying portions, a pivot pin extending through said members and leaf to pivotally relate said members and means to maintain said handle in a position the line of which bisects the angle formed between said legs as movement about said pivot occurs comprising a radial slot in said leaf. similarly oppositely positioned camming surfaces. crossing said slot and a member l having circular cross section in said slot and engaging said camming surfaces and freely rotatable about a pluralityof axes within itself.

2.. A compass as in claim 1 wherein said member in said slot is provided with a curved outer surface which will roll along the surfaces contacted.

3. A compass as in claim 1 wherein said member in said slot is a-bal-l.

4. A compass as in claim 1 wherein said cam surfaces are formed by grooves in said leg members.

A compass as in claim l wherein said cam surfaces are formed by slots in said members.

6. A 'compass comprising, a pair of leg members having, portions overlying each other with a leaf havingra handle extending therefrom located between said overlyingportions, a pivot pin extendingthrough Said members and leaf to pivotally relate saidy members and means to maintain saidhandle in a, position the line of which bisects the angle formed between said legs as movement about said pivot occurs comprising a radial slot; in said leaf; similarly oppositely positioned camming surfaces crossing said slot and a member having circular cross section in said slot and engaging said camming surfaces and freely rotatable about a plurality of axes within itself wherein the member in said slot is of a size to space said leg members. and the leaf is provided, on the side of the pivot away from said slot, with means to space said leg members a distance substantially that provided by the member in said slot. y

7. A compass asin claim 6 wherein said spacing means, is symmetrically arranged with respect to 50 Said slot. in said leaf.

Iit AA compass as in claim 6 wherein said spacing means comprise an offsetn said leaf.

9.. vAcompass as in claim 6 wherein said spacing means comprise a ball held in position by a forma- 5-2 tion in. said leaf.

10.'. A Compasses in claim 6 wherein said spacingfvmeans comprise a ball held in position in an opening in said leaf.

M lllnA compass comprising a fiat body member, a sleeve having an extension carried thereby and disposed at, one eric or said body member. a point provided on the extension. a pivot, on the opposite end of the body member, an arcuate channel in 5,5 the body adjacent said pivot and said channel opening outwardly tov form, an arcuatek slot, a ball bearing in Said arcuate slot, a handle having a bore therein for pivotable mounting on the pivot Qf. Said bodymeuiber. a longitudinal slot in said 7o handle for movable ensagement with said bali hear-mg. a scriber having one end thereof arcuate With an arcuate passage in said arcuate end for engagement with said bau bearing, an eyeiet in q the arcuate end of said scriber for pivotable con'- f5 #fiction with the pivot of the body member ISI 5 whereby movement of seid scrber will coactingly Number move said handle. 1,343,664

FREDERICK DE CESARIS. 2,080,917 2,187,519 REFERENCES CITED 5 The following references are of record in the N b fue of this patent: mT'lOB UNITED STATES PATENTS 71431 Number Name Date 1o 83.7 64 730,388 Oberbeck June 9, 1903 169,495 844,772 Bernegau Feb. 19, 1907 207,333 902,257 Schoenner Oct. 27, 1908 266,833

Name Date Deckman June 15, 1920 Hockman May 18, 1937 Meilner Jan. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 26, 1903 Switzerland Oct. 20, 1893 Germany 1896 Germany Apr. 10, 1906 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1923 Germany Nov. 4, 1913 

